Indoor activities to beat cabin fever this winter

Winter brings out the fuzzy slippers, the heavy blankets and the movies on the couch but it can also bring out the worst in children, especially if they’re sick. We’ve gathered some ideas for when your kids are under the weather or when the temperature is simply too cold for outdoor play. No standard ideas like television, iPad, books, puzzles and board games. And no craft – because I know I can’t be the only mum who would rather walk on Lego than spend an afternoon cleaning up paint and glitter…

1. Make blanket forts

If you have pillows, blankets and couch cushions, then you have the makings of a sweet blanket tent. Even just piling the contents on the floor and letting the kids jump into the pile of comfort is a great way to soak up some of that extra energy that isn’t being used at the park.

2. Put them to work

Folding, washing, doing the dishes and dusting can be made into a game (with the right incentive… like chocolate).

3. Play cards

Poker may be a little too advanced but you can do very basic maths, shapes and colour recognition with cards. And all kids can pick up the game of Snap pretty easily!

4. Have a ‘snow ball’ fight

All you need is a few rolls of paper towel or toilet paper. Yes, you can expect a flurry of white paper all over the house but it’s easy enough to make it a clean up game afterwards.

5. Make a collage

Just kidding! That counts as a craft in my mind. But if you’re up to the challenge of cleaning up bits of paper and glue, then kids do love making collages.

6. Write a book

Rather than read a book, write one. Simply staple some pages together, let the kids draw a picture on each page and caption what they have drawn.

7. Set up indoor bowling

If you have a long corridor in the house, then this is a great game. If you don’t have a toy bowling set you can use plastic cups as the pins.

8. Choreograph a dance

With matching outfits. And make sure you perform your dance for any adult who graces your front door. Make sure you record it on your phone!

9. Play hide and seek

By hide and seek, I mean hide in the pantry and see how long it takes for your kids to find you. Hopefully you get at least five minutes of silence. But I highly doubt it.

10. Attempt to train the dog

If you have a dog, then you can bribe him to learn new tricks with treats. Even if it doesn’t work, watching your little ones attempt to communicate with your dog is still worth a laugh or two. Even if you only have a rabbit, this is still a fun game.